FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2017
Contact: Sarah Carpenter
(413) 528-5485
Digital images available

The Mount Hosts CATA’s Annual Poetry Reading — Event kicks off CATA’s 25th Anniversary Year

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA – Community Access to the Arts (CATA) presents its Annual Poetry Reading, a celebration of CATA’s writers, on September 14 at 5:30pm at The Mount, located at 2 Plunkett St. in Lenox. Writer/performer Rachel Siegel will read selected excerpts from the CATA Writers’ Workshop—including funny, poignant works reflecting the unique perspectives of writers with disabilities.

CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller reflects, “We’re thrilled to honor our CATA writers at the home of Edith Wharton, and to have Rachel Siegel as a guest reader. As a veteran performer, Rachel has an incredible ability to inhabit different characters and voices. I can’t wait to hear how she captures the range of emotions and images reflected in our writers’ work. I know there will be moments that are deeply funny, and others that are incredibly thought-provoking.” Keller adds, “By sharing the words of our writers with disabilities in this dynamic public event, we are giving voice to a perspective that many people in our community wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to encounter.”

CATA’s Annual Poetry Reading features selected works from the CATA Writers’ Workshop, where writers with disabilities meet weekly to develop their skills in poetry, haiku, autobiography, and short stories. Three writing faculty rotate throughout the year to offer CATA’s writers a rich and varied experience in creative writing and poetry. CATA faculty leading the Writers’ Workshop are each talented writers as well as gifted teachers: Janet Reich Elsbach, Emily Rechnitz, and Anamyn Turowski.

This event is made possible by Berkshire Magazine, Canyon Ranch, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and other generous individual supporters. Reservations are required for this free event. Please call CATA’s office at 413-528-5485 to reserve your seat by September 7.

CATA celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year, from September 2017 through August 2018. The poetry reading is the first in a year-long series of events celebrating the organization’s vibrant history as a pioneer in the field of art and disability. The organization’s public programs, coupled with its weekly workshops for people with disabilities, have put CATA on the map as an innovative arts organization with a mission for social change. Through partnerships with 41 local organizations, CATA serves over 650 people with disabilities in the community.

CATA’s mission is to nurture and celebrate the creativity of people with disabilities through shared experiences in the visual and performing arts.

For more information, visit CATAarts.org or call 413-528-5485.

August 2017

The Mount Hosts CATA’s Annual Poetry Reading

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